Benefit SNAP benefits are changing in October: What to know (NEXSTAR) – Heads up, SNAP recipients: Your monthly benefit allotment is likely about to change. On Oct. 1, the annual cost-of-living adjustment (or COLA) kicks in, meaning the size of most people's SNAP benefits are about to increase slightly. Single people, however, will only receive $8 more per month. A family of four will get $29 more monthly. That’s about a 2.9% increase in benefits. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of food at home has gone up about 2.7% year-over-year. Overall inflation is at 3.4%. New bill would restrict SNAP benefits in 9 states. Here’s what could be cut Starting Oct. 1, 2026, this is how SNAP recipients in the 48 contiguous U.S. states plus D.C. will see their maximum benefits change: Household size Maximum benefit starting Oct. 1, 2026 Maximum benefit before Oct. 1 1 $306 $298 2 $562 $546 3 $808 $785 4 $1,023 $994 5 $1,217 $1,183 6 $1,463 $1,421 7 $1,616 $1,571 8 $1,841 $1,789 Each additional person $225 $218 Maximum benefit amounts are different in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, due to the high cost of groceries in those places. A family of four in rural Alaska, for example, will be getting as much as $2,027 starting in October. In Hawaii, benefits are actually decreasing slightly. A household of four in Hawaii will now have a maximum benefit of $1,655. (See more on the maximum benefits in those states and territories here.) 41 states at risk of losing federal SNAP funds, new data shows: What to know SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps about 37 million lower-income Americans buy groceries. The program — formerly known as the Food Stamps — is also changing its eligibility requirements as of October. How much someone receives in SNAP benefits depends on their household income and assets.